chagovatoloco

I also like to use steel wool as a final sanding. I dose a good job of picking up the small pieces of dust. You have done an amazing job, if you don't have an art form I believe this is it.

butacska

Thanks I didn't think of steel whool, but so far i don't know how I am going to clean this fine dust off of the stand before staining it the last time. Do you guys think just the damp t-shirt will do it? It is so smooth now i don't know if the shirt would pick the dust up...

... well i guess i'll put myself away for tomorrow now
Good nite! and thank you for your comment everybody i am soo happy about it I truly appreciate your help!

chagovatoloco

Thank you very much for your kind comments, though my work is not as good as yours.

freydo

you can go to a hardware store and get what is called "tack rags". they're cotton clothes with a sticky residue on them that really helps to pick up the dust particles.

mulita

Very Nice Job! I like the way you handle your moldings on it. Very very very strong stand, it can easily hold two-three tank on top on each other

Your are doing an excellent job!

butacska

thank you for your kind comment

butacska

Hello again

Finally we put the doors together, we used the molding on the side of the plywood as you would put a picture frame together.



First we glued them, but then it expanded and became ugly, so we just nailed the rest of the molding to the plywood.

Then I stained the doors, but as the cabinet itself received 4x staining and sanding, that’s what I have to do with the doors too. And the drying time between 2 stain coats is 24(!!!) hours. So 3 more days until we can put the doors up. Slowly but surely it’s getting done Can’t wait.



I don’t know how even and level the doors will be though… We’ll see.

JG06

That's a nice cabinet you've built there and one that I'm sure you'll be able to use for something else if you ever decide to take the aquarium down. From where I sit, it looks very well done. You should be proud!

One suggestion I may offer though: I think since you have that decorative trim that runs around the top of edge of your cabinet you should consider laying a piece of formica type counter top on top to finish things off. I put a piece of scrap formica on the cabinet I just finished and it was really a nice touch. Plus, I'll never have to worry about water damaging the wood under the aquarium. Again, its just a thought.

Sunstar

Very well done. My brother in law made me a stand once, but as soon as it got wet, it expanded horribly it is nowhere as nice as what you have put together. Kudos and keep up the fantastic work.

butacska

Finally we finished it.

We put on the doors, now you can tell how beginners we are... But it's OKEY.


Took it into the house. Its going to be in the family room.



The inspector:


I got a little bonus at my job so I ordered two bags of eco complete from DR FnS, that was the cheapest I could find... even cheaper than my LFS which was $29.99 + tax a bag... a got them for $53 with shipping and everything. Some place wanted $30-40 for just shipping...


I started to put the tank together with self-collected lava rocks:

The lights are still on the 55G as I have plants in that one.
I collected a little mulm from the 55G,
I used a sponge and "seeded" (?) the filter with bacteria... obviously too much because my tank looks like there was a dust storm in it. Everything is covered with something that is similar to mulm... probably dead bacteria, but look like very fine dust...
I pulled out dwarf sag and planted it in the new tank, and fished out 9 baby guppies and about 30 RCS to the new tank. To help cycling.
Next week I will receive plants what I'm getting for the shrimps that I sent to 5 people trade is fun And I sill have way too many shrimps....


In the meantime, while the stand was delayed I quit smoking... cold turkey... 3 weeks ago...
so I bought a little 5G tank into my kitchen, I couldn't handle the waiting for my 29 gallon I needed to put a tank together... so I can look at it instead of going outside to have a cig.


Thanks everybody for the comments and help!